Device for actuating station-indicators



(No Model.)

W. A. TURNER.

DEVICE FOR AOTUATING STATION INDICATORS.

No. 394,799. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

n PEIERS PMM-lthognphor. Washington. a. c.

IVILLIAM A. TURNER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR ACTUATING STATION-INDICATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,799, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed April 2, 1888.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM A. TURNER, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Devices for Actuating Station-Indicators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a mechanism for actuating station-imlicators; and ithas forits object the conversion of the slnldcnstrain resulting from the striking of the actuating device against the tripping block or obstruction in the roadway into a prolonged and uniform pull and the avoidance of erroneous indications through backing or irregular motions of the car. 7

It consicts of one or more tripping blocks or obstructions at the point upon the track where the indication is desired, a lever or levers fulcrumed upon the car so as to be actuated by these obstructions, a screw fixed upon the revolving car-axle, and a device which is caused to engage the screw by the movement of the tripping-levers and through which the indicator is actuated;

It consists, also, in certain details of construction, all of which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the workings of the slides A is the railway track or roadway, (n which are located the tripping blocks or obstructions b at points where it is desired to opi 1' rte the indicator upon the moxing car.

(I is a lever t'ulcrumed to the truck, car-axle, or frame D, in such a position that when it arrives at the trippingobstructions it will be actuated and caused to swingbackward. The mechanism can be used in duplicate in order to reduce the chances of the indicator being operated by unexpected obstructions which may fall upon the track in the path of the levers, and in such a construction as many tripping blocks or obstructions are employed as there are levers, it being necessary that the levers should all be moved simultaneously to actuate the indicator. In describing the invention, however, it will be suliicient to refer to one lever and one set of operating mechanism. E is a car-axle having a screw, F, fixed upon Serial No. 269,319. (No model.)

i it so as to rotate with it. Upon one side of l the axle and parallel with it is fixed the frame G, having the slot or channel II cut or formed in it lo act as a guide in which the point I of the movable slide J may travel. This slide l J has a spur or projection, K, of such size and shape that it may enter between the threads of the screw F when the slide is moved, so as to allow it to come in contact with the screw. The slide J is so fixed that the point I projects into the guiding-channel .H, and the slide is notched at L, so that the pin M, projecting upward or downward, so as to engage this notch, will prevent the slide J from moving toward the axle and the screw. At the back of the slide J is a spring, N, that presses upon it, so that when the pin M is withdrawn the slide will be forced toward the axle until the spur K engages with the screw-thread.

The pin M is connected with the lever C in such a manner that when the lever strikes the tripping -obstruction B the lever swinging backward will act to withdraw the pin M, so as to allow the spring to force the slide J toward the axle until the spur K engages the threads of the screw. This movement will bring the pin I on the slide J into line with the portion of the guiding groove or channel II which is nearest to the axle, and the continued rotation of the axle and the screw F acting upon the spur K draws the slide J along until it has reached the end of the guiding-channel II. This slide Jis connected with the indicator-operating mechanism, (not here shown,) so that when it is moved along it will operate the indicator and expose the name of the street or station which is desired.

P is a spiral spring, which is connected with the slideJ, the tension of which acts to draw it back to its original position when released from the screw. This release is effected by the spring Q, which is attached to the frame G in such a position that when the pin I of the slide J has reached the end of the straight portion of the guiding-slot H the spring Q, acting upon the slide J, throws it outward, so as to release the spur or projection K from the screw-threads, and as the pin I travels around the curved portion ll. of the guiding groove or slot the spring I returns the slide J to the starting-point.

The description here given is that of a machine in its simplestform. l have mentioned but one operati ng-slide, and no more than. one slide will be necessary where both the indicator and the car run always in one direction but should the iin'licator be reversible or should the car run both backward and for ward it will be evident that two operatingslides will berequiredone for each direction of operation or running; and in the drawings I have shown both setsone upon each side of the axle E. Various devices or connections may be employed between this mechanism and the indicator, such as a simple cord or a pin, which may project downward through an opening or slot in the arm R, which is attached to or connected with the slide J, or by other well-known or easily-applied devices. \Vhen the screw is upon the axle at the end of the car opposite to that in which the indicator is located, a cord may lead directly from the arm R to the indicator, provided accuracy of pull is not needed; but when accuracy of pull is needed, and especially where the screw and the indicator are both located at the same end of the car, an intermediate device is necessary in order to adjust the length of pull and to insure its accuracy. For this purpose I employ the following device: The pin (1. is here shown as connected with and projecting from a horizontally-moving slotted slide, 1),

which is guided by pins 0, so as to slide upon a frame, (I. This frame is supported from the ear-body, (not here shown,) and partakes of its vertical oscillations upon the springs, while the slide J and the arm R, being mounted upon the rigid wheel-base, have little or no motion. This pin (4, therefore, maintains the connection between the slide .l and the slide l;,while allowing the latter to follow the movements of the car-body.

f is a pulley, and a cord (shown in dotted lines) is attached to the slide 7), passing thence around the pulley f, and leading up into the car and to the indicator which it to actuate.

\Vhen the car runs to the end of its route, and then. turned about to return,so that one end is always at the front, and where the indicator is of the perpetual or irreversible type, only a single connection with the lever O is necessary, as this lever will always swing in the same direction by the action of the tripping obstructions; but if the car is to run with each end alternately in front it will be necessary to use two sets oi operating-cords, 0, one being connected with the lever at one side of the fulcrum and the other at the opposite side, so that in whichever direction the lever may be moved it will still operate the slide .T, so as to throw italteri'iately into and out of contact with the endless screw. By this construction the abrupt and sudden blow, caused by the lever striking the tripping obstructions upon the traclginstead of being transmitted directly to the indicator mechanism, which must thus be operated with considerable violence, noise, and jar, is easily which may be applied to operate the indicator with as much ease and softness as is desired.

\Vhen only a single obstruction and swinging lever are employed, it is manifest that the device will be easily operated by any obstruction it may encounter; but when two or more tripping-levers and two or more obstructimis are employed they are connected. with a like number of steps or pins, M, which must be actuated. simultaneously, in order to release the slide-plate J and allow the spur to engage the endless screw.

1 laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The lever l'fulcrumed upon the car and a fixed obstructitm or block upon the roadway by which said lever is actuated, in combination with a screw upon the car-axle, a slide on the car-frame contiguous to said screw, and which is madeto engage thelatterby the action of the lever, whereby the indicator within the car is actuated, and a connection between said slide and lever, sul)stantially as herein described.

2. The lever hinged to the car and tripping blocks or obstructions along the line of roadway, by which said lever is caused to swing at stated ii'itervals, and the screw fixed to turn with the car-axle, in combination with a slide on the car-frame contiguous to said screw, having a spur which en the threads of the screw, retainingstops by which the slide is held out of contact with the screw, and a connection between said stops and lever, whereby the latter are withdrawn and the slide released by the action of the lever, substantially as herein described.

3. The screw secured to the car-axle, the frames having the guiding-slot H, the slidein said frame having the spur K, adapted to engage the threads of the screw, the pin I, projecting from said slide and adapted to travel in the guiding-slot, and the releasing-pins M, in combination with fixed stops on the line of road, a pivoted lever on. the ear tripped thereby, a eoni'iection between said. lever and releasing-pins, a spring in the rear of the slide by which said slide is forced forward, so as to engage the screw, and a returning-spring connected with said slide, sul.)stai|- tially as herein descrilxad.

4-. The lever pivoted to the car, and tripping blocks or obstrm'ctions along the line of roadway by which the lever is actuated at stated intervals, the screw on the car-axle, the movable slide 1 on. the car-frame contigu ous to said screw, and releasing-pins con nected with said lever, said slide having a spur adapted to engage the threads of the screw, the pin traveling in the guiding-slot, which holds the spur in engagement with the screw to the end of its travel and then releases it, in combination. with the spring N, adapted to press the slide forward, the spring converted into a prolong-ml and uniform pull, Q at one end of the slide for etiecting the re- IOO l'lO

lease of the latter, and the spring P, connected with the opposite end of the slide for returning it to its normal position, substantially as described.

5. The traveling slide J on the car-frame contiguous to the axle, and having a cord or rod connecting it with the indicator mechanism, a spur adapted to engage the threads of the screw fixed to the car-axle, the guidingslot and pins projecting from the slide J and traveling therein, so as to carry the slide alternately forward to engage the screw and backward to return, and actuating-springs by which this movement is accomplished, in combination with the retaining-pins M, and the swinging tripping-lever fulcrumed to the car and connected with the said pins, so as to withdraw them and release the slide J at the proper point, substantially as herein described.

(5. The levers pivoted upon the car, and tripping blocks or obstructions along the line of roadway by which the levers are actuated simultaneously, the screw on the caraxle and the slide on the car-frame contiguous to said screw, said slide having an engagingspur and operating mechanism, in combination with the arm R, attached to the slide, the

slide I), having a projecting pin, a, engaging the arm, and a connection between said slide and indicating apparatus on the car, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The levers pivoted upon the car, tripping blocks or obstructions on the line of roadway for actuating the levers, a screw on the car-axle, and a slide on the car-frame contiguous to said screw, in combination with the independent pins M, for releasing the slide, and a connection between the pins and levers, whereby the former is actuated by the movement of the latter, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

\VILLIAM A, TURNER.

lVitnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, H. 0. LEE. 

